The South African unemployment rate declined to 25,5% in September 2006, down from 26,7% in September 2005, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Thursday.
Releasing results of the labour-force survey done in September last year, Stats SA said 4 391 000 people were unemployed, compared with 4 487 000 people who were unemployed in September 2005.
The country’s absorption rate, the percentage of the population of working age who are employed, stood at 42,7%, with the number of people employed at 12 800 000 and the labour-force participation rate at 57,3%.
The trade industry, including wholesale and retail, has made the single largest contribution to total employment with 3 055 000 people employed — 23,9%.
Community and social services made the second largest contribution with 18,1% and manufacturing the third largest with 13,6%.
The downward trend of employment in the agriculture sector was reversed with the industry contributing 163 000 new jobs to the market.
Stats SA said subsistence farming has become an increasingly important source of employment in South Africa.
Elementary work dominated employment opportunities with one in every five employed people doing such jobs. However, the three highest occupation levels were managers, professionals and technicians, together accounting for 21,1% of the total employment.
In September 2006, formal sector employment, excluding agriculture, accounted for 65,8% of total employment.
Non-economically active people amounted to 12 815 000, of whom 9 598 were not available to work and 3 217 000 were ”discouraged work seekers” or people who did not take active steps to seek employment. — Sapa